Women and the Workforce

            In The Proposal, Margaret Tate (played by Sandra Bullock) is a stuffy, stern, unmarried book editor who torments her office (IMDB and Yahoo! Movies). From the beginning, her disregard and meanness towards others is off-putting for the other office employees- especially Andrew Paxton, her assistant (played by Ryan Reynolds) (IMDB). Even though she is mean, that personality type is a reality in the workforce. The movie successfully chips away at her exterior and makes her into this heartwarming character who finds love with her assistant. Granted, I love this film and I believe that the changes she makes throughout the film are genuine and necessary. However, I am sure there are many men who act in this manner and are respected for their veracity, but women are often not thought of in this way.

            As an editor, she has clout in her office and a male assistant to boot. The original depiction of Tate fits in with some of the most noteworthy “impressions” men and women make in the workforce (Josefowitz, Kirk, and Okazawa-Rey 306). One of my favorites states, “HE loses his temper,” and, “SHE’S bitchy” (Josefowitz, Kirk, and Okazawa-Rey 306). Personally, whenever I hear the word “bitchy” uttered by anyone I automatically flip out. The word has many negative connotations associated with it; however, I do see how women are trying to reclaim the word. Anyways, this classic assumption in the workplace applies to the film and everyday life for women. Many women that are assertive is labeled as a “bitch” or “bitchy” while the male counterpart is given the assertive label. Although it is done subtly, the film reasserts the message that women should not be disconcerting like Tate.

            Tate’s lifestyle follows the “be a man” strategy” highlighted in the article, “The Mommy Tax” to an extent (Crittenden, Kirk, and Okazawa-Rey 342). Tate does not have any obligations as far as family and has an amazing position at her firm. The film makes the audience assume that Tate is cold because of her lack of closeness to family. However, it should be noted that Tate lost her parents at an early age and her distance stems from that. Because the movie ends with her and her assistant deciding to stay together, the audience does not know what the relationship becomes or if children come into the picture.

            I have worked in various areas of the economy, from retail to filing at my local courthouse. There is definitely more prestige and sense of purpose in working for a courthouse. It is more professional, whereas retail can be disheartening and trivial. From my experiences, my expectations for a future job in the law field mirror my courthouse experiences more than my retail experiences (with a bit more creativity). In relation to the film, I have always had this desire to be a more encouraging interpretation of Margaret Tate. I feel that I would thrive under the pressure of having to manage a company of people.

Works Cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.

The Internet Movie Database. Web. 28 March 2011.

Yahoo! Movies. Web. 28 March 2011.

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